During production operations, the temperature and pressure at which fluid extracted from a subterranean formation is maintained affects the phase of the fluid as well as the magnitude of precipitated asphaltenes, production equipment, etc. In particular, as the pressure of an unsaturated formation fluid decreases, asphaltenes that were once dissolved in the formation fluid begin to precipitate. Precipitated asphaltenes have been known to clog wells, flowlines, surface facilities and/or subsurface facilities. However, the temperature and pressure of the fluid as it is brought to the surface may be controlled to minimize some of the adverse effects of asphaltenes as well as phase changes during production operations.
To identify the asphaltene onset pressure and the bubble point of a formation fluid, known techniques rely heavily on laboratory analysis. While such laboratory analysis may provide accurate results in some instances, to do so the sample must be representative of the formation fluid and be maintained at reservoir conditions while being transported to the laboratory. Additionally, laboratory analysis does not provide real-time results.